Observe how and when your teacher closes his or her lessons and/or activities. How does he or she end each class period? Is there a set routine? If so, describe it. Pay special attention to when you teacher begins to end the class. Does he or she return to the purpose or main idea of the lesson? Does he or she "set up" the homework or the next day's activity? Is the teacher still teaching when the bell rings or are students already poised to leave? Is there some "dead time" at the end of the class period? If so, how much? How do students react to your teacher's closing strategies? Remember that these questions are a guide and that you don't have to answer each one. Be sure you reflect on your observations and describe how you will try to end your classes. What supports for these ideas might you include in your lesson plans?
Observations:
I would not say that my CT has any particular routine to her end of class activities, but I would say that she has a pattern that she follows. At the end of class there is typically a recap of what happened during class. This has taken many forms, a few examples would be simply restating the main ideas of class in a sort of summary statement, reminding students of the importance of the class (for knowledge or for the next test), and setting up what is expected in the homework. Although the end of class is not the same every day, the day never ends simply when the days material ends, there is always some sort of wrap up, although usually not elaborate in nature. I have never encountered my CT frantically trying to finish class as the bell is ringing, but I have seem a few classes end (at the end of the day on Friday) with the class waiting for the bell, and in this case there has been as much as five minutes or so dead time, although this hasn’t been the case in the classes during the day.
As a general statement I would say that my CT closes class simply by either restating the main ideas, reminding them of the importance and/or setting up homework expectations. Another important consideration is that she always seems to wish them a good day or a good weekend, never letting them go cold.
Reflections:
Although I have seen a few exceptions, I would say that my CT does a good job of ending class. When I begin to teach I never want to leave the class in the middle, I want to always wrap up each day’s activity neatly, even if the lesson or concept carries over to the next day. It is valuable for me to see these simpler practices in action, reminding me that everyday doesn’t have to be ‘textbook perfection’ to be effective.
One additionally thing I would like to try to do in my lessons, at least when appropriate is to bring the closing directly back to the opening and remind students that we set out to answer a question, and we did it. This is how science works in the real world and in my opinion this will help keep students interested as they are forced to see the learning and growth that takes place every class.
Observations:
I would not say that my CT has any particular routine to her end of class activities, but I would say that she has a pattern that she follows. At the end of class there is typically a recap of what happened during class. This has taken many forms, a few examples would be simply restating the main ideas of class in a sort of summary statement, reminding students of the importance of the class (for knowledge or for the next test), and setting up what is expected in the homework. Although the end of class is not the same every day, the day never ends simply when the days material ends, there is always some sort of wrap up, although usually not elaborate in nature. I have never encountered my CT frantically trying to finish class as the bell is ringing, but I have seem a few classes end (at the end of the day on Friday) with the class waiting for the bell, and in this case there has been as much as five minutes or so dead time, although this hasn’t been the case in the classes during the day.As a general statement I would say that my CT closes class simply by either restating the main ideas, reminding them of the importance and/or setting up homework expectations. Another important consideration is that she always seems to wish them a good day or a good weekend, never letting them go cold.
Reflections:
Although I have seen a few exceptions, I would say that my CT does a good job of ending class. When I begin to teach I never want to leave the class in the middle, I want to always wrap up each day’s activity neatly, even if the lesson or concept carries over to the next day. It is valuable for me to see these simpler practices in action, reminding me that everyday doesn’t have to be ‘textbook perfection’ to be effective.One additionally thing I would like to try to do in my lessons, at least when appropriate is to bring the closing directly back to the opening and remind students that we set out to answer a question, and we did it. This is how science works in the real world and in my opinion this will help keep students interested as they are forced to see the learning and growth that takes place every class.
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